Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution

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Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution
AuthorRichard Dawkins
LanguageEnglish
SubjectAnimal flight
Published2021 (Head of Zeus, London)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint
Pages294
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OCLC1299256370
LC ClassQP310.F5
Preceded byBooks Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science 

Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution is a 2021 book written by Richard Dawkins and illustrated by Jana Lenzová.

Themes

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Flights of Fancy talks about almost every aspect of flying–all the different ways of defying gravity–in imagination and in technology, in humans and in animals. It ranges over many instances of flight including the Wright brothers, Greek mythology, extinct and living birds, helicopters, insects, bats, and flying squirrels.[1]

Reception

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  • Alexander McCall Smith called it "A masterly investigation of all aspects of flight, human and animal... A beautifully produced book that will appeal across age groups"[2][3]
  • James McConnachie in The Times said, "Dawkins has always been an extraordinarily muscular, persuasive thinker. What feels new here is that he writes with such charm and warmth"[4]

References

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  1. ^ Book Review: Flights of Fancy Skeptic Heretic: "From the deadly dance between moths and bats, to the wonders of mechanized flight, this book examines nature’s desire to break free from the bonds of gravity"
  2. ^ Richard Dawkins on Wonder – Live on Stage in London 21 Feb 2022, Emmanuel Centre, London
  3. ^ Flights of Fancy Golden Notebook Press
  4. ^ Flights of Fancy review – a very different Richard Dawkins by James McConnachie, 12 Dec 2021, The Sunday Times
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